Virtual Sustainable Tourism Internship Program
About Solimar:
Solimar International is a sustainable tourism consulting and marketing firm with a team of creative and experienced professionals who share a common vision of how tourism can stimulate economic growth while conserving natural resources and cultural heritage. Our tourism consulting and marketing services deliver innovative tourism assessments, destination development strategies, and tourism marketing for our clients, including international development organizations, tourism authorities, national and local governments, NGOs, preservation agencies, tourism & private sector enterprises, and local communities.
Solimar loves building future leaders of sustainable tourism development! Our Virtual Internship program is designed to help current students enrolled in a University gain real-world experience in the sustainable tourism industry through hands-on engagement while earning course credit by joining our global sustainable tourism internship program.
Being an intern at Solimar means meeting people from all over the world, working with them on challenging but rewarding projects, contributing to using sustainable tourism as a tool for making people’s lives better, and learning within a friendly environment. Solimar’s team is supportive, full of kindness and always willing to teach and help. I got to work on destinations that are not even on Google Maps, and contribute to developing tourism in under-the-radar destinations. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity! – Kim Sucré, France
Position Summary:
We are currently looking for passionate student storytellers and sustainable travel lovers to join our virtual travel writing and sustainable tourism internship cohort. This unique ~12-week internship is a chance to gain real-world exposure in the world of sustainable tourism marketing through assisting with our projects’ marketing + communications needs.
As a member of the Solimar team, you will work closely with some of the leading names and minds in the sustainable tourism industry. Many of our previous writing interns have finished our program and received full-time employment in the tourism industry, both at our company, prominent tour operators, travel publications, travel start-ups, and more.
The position is unpaid and remote, with flexible hours available to those needing an internship for class credit under the supervision of a University professor. While the internship is primarily geared towards marketing and communications, in some cases, interns also support research foundational to our destination development support–from helping to create National Tourism Master Plans to Climate Adaptation Strategies for the Tourism Sector. If you are interested in doing an in-person research placement project to work on a Solimar project supporting your Undergraduate, Masters, or Ph.D. Dissertation, check out the opportunities we offer for Student Research Placements.
What you will be doing in Solimar’s Sustainable Tourism Internship Program:
1. Content Development
- Research of destinations and experiences remotely
- Develop inspirational travel ideas
- Support immediate content needs in response to current events
2. Copywriting and Editing
- Writing stories and blogs for the Solimar website and social media pages
- Write at least two client articles per month
- Writing questions and conducting interviews with people in destinations
- Assist with press releases and announcements of new project developments
3. Social Media Curation
- Working within the established destination content plan
- Implement social strategies across social platforms
- Develop new ideas and methods around engaging with followers
- Weekly postings to social media platforms
- Photo Sourcing
- Create content for social media stories
4. SEO + Reporting
- Learn how to use WordPress to upload content to the backend of the website
- Assist in the management of website SEO
- Learn how to monitor the value we provide to our clients over time and report on them
5. Other tasks assigned by your team leader
- As a dynamic, ever-changing company, our needs are constantly changing. Though your primary role will be content-related, you might be asked to complete various other diverse tasks. These are assigned
Projects That You May Work On
- Liberia
- Bangladesh
- USAID Maldives Climate Change
- And more! We always have new projects in the pipeline
While your internship will be supporting the content writing and research needs for these projects virtually, we also offer in-person opportunities to support these projects through our Destination Development Corps (in-person, field-based experience supporting our DMOs on the ground with complete management and oversight from Solimar staff) or Student Research Placements (virtual or in-person projects that you customize with Solimar staff to support your research and our project needs).
Read more about a former intern’s experience here.
Qualifications and General Requirements
- Must be a student fulfilling an internship requirement for course credit under the supervision of a university professor
- A passion for sustainable tourism development
- Interest in marketing and communications
- Excellent command of written English, including impeccable grammar and spelling
- Highly driven, thorough, enthusiastic, and willing to jump into any task
- Comfortable working remotely with digital tools and being a diligent, proactive communicator
- Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
- Attention to detail
Timeframe and Time Commitments
Internships are designed around the academic year, and we offer three sessions a year:
- Fall Session: Mid-September – Mid-December
- Spring Session: Early January – Mid-May
- Summer Session: Mid-May – late August
This position is part-time with flexible scheduling, but we ask each for a commitment of 15-20 hours per week. Breaks are given during exam weeks and holidays.
How to Apply
We are currently seeking talented student applicants for our virtual Fall 2024 internship cohort. Please complete the application form below if you believe you would be a valuable addition to our team. Upon submission, we will get back to you with a decision within two weeks. Please email any questions to [email protected].
If you want to join the Fall 2024 internship cohort beginning in September, please complete this application.
My internship experience with Solimar International was a true delight – a game-changer in terms of professional growth and expanding my career opportunities. The Solimar team genuinely cares about your professional development, and provides effective support. The exposure to the sustainable tourism development industry through Solimar International is unmatched, and it is clear from the start that the team is experienced, forward thinking, and passionate. I highly recommend Solimar to any client seeking consulting services, and for any professional seeking career advancement. Thank you Solimar! – Thomas Kalchik, Founder of Casa Galu in Capurganá, Colombia
